Robert Swanson: Michigan doesn't do as well as other states in child well-being

Jun. 24, 2013

Written by

Robert Swanson

Detroit Free Press guest writer

When it comes to child well-being, Michigan isnít keeping up with the Joneses.

According to the 2013 Kids Count Data Book, children in our neighboring states fare better than children in Michigan, which ranks 31st for overall child well-being. That not only puts our state behind 30 others, but trailing our neighbors Minnesota (fourth), Wisconsin (12th), Illinois (23rd), Ohio (24th) and Indiana (30th).

The report uses a number of indicators to track child well-being. In economic well-being, Michigan ranked 36th. Michigan was 32nd for education, and 27th for family and community. Only in health did the state rank in the top half, but barely, at 23rd.

What continues to drag Michigan down long after the recession receded is poverty. The worst ranking (43rd) is for children living in high-poverty areas. That means 350,000 Michigan children ó nearly 1 in 7 ó live in a high-poverty neighborhood, with 30% or more residents in poverty. High-poverty neighborhoods are much more likely than others to have high rates of crime and violence, physical and mental health issues, high unemployment and other serious problems. Concentrated neighborhood poverty negatively affects poor children, as well as those who are better off.

One in 4 children in Michigan lives in poverty (about $23,000 or less for a family of four) and this worsened by 32% between 2005 and 2011. Only nine states had bigger jumps in child poverty rates.

Another low ranking was in secure parental employment, where Michigan ranked 37th. More than 800,000 Michigan kids ó 1 in 3 ó live in a family where neither parent has full-time, year-round employment.

Policymakers must take this to heart. Tax policy can help increase employment and help families meet basic needs. The federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits are proven anti-poverty tools that encourage work and help keep workers on the job by supporting work-related costs, such as transportation. Michigan cut the state EITC from 20% to 6% of the federal credit in 2011. This credit needs to be restored, and attacks on the federal credit at the national level must be rebuffed. We can literally lift children out of poverty with these credits.

Accepting federal dollars to expand eligibility for Medicaid, now stalled in the state Senate, could also be a win for kids by allowing access to care for more women before and between pregnancies, improving womenís health and birth outcomes.

In addition, we must start reinvesting in our future work force. Economist Mitch Bean, the former House Fiscal Agency director, recently estimated that $1.6 billion in annual state spending has been cut over the last decade. Of that, half has been taken from education.

Adult education programs, in particular, have been hard-hit in our state, and low-skilled workers are often left on their own to navigate paths to improvement. Need-based aid for post-secondary education has also been slashed.

There are far too many areas where the needs and aspirations of Michiganís kids are being ignored, and where we lag too far behind our neighbors. Donít our kids ó here in Michigan ó deserve the best we can offer?

Robert Swanson is chairman of the Board of the Michigan League for Public Policy and retired director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth.